Discover the Lake and Volcano district in Chile. Cycling Chile’s south backroads is the ultimate green tour. This well-supported gravel cycling adventure has been especially made for intermediate and advanced cyclists. 

Gravel Bike Tour Highlights:

• Gravel cycling across Conguillio National Park with Llaima volcano
• Kutralkura Park, Chile’s first Geopark
• Meet the Mapuche people and learn about their ancestral culture
• Savor Chilean cuisine and taste the best wines and local microbrew beers
• Pucon city, Villarrica Volcano and Caburgua Lake
• Bicycle Upgrade – carbon E-gravel bike Specialized. Check our bike fleet here 

For flight quotes (international and domestic), please contact our partner Exito Travel.  

Before we kick off our gravel bike tour in Chile’s Lake and Volcano District, you should take a day or two to adjust to local time and recover from your travels, and allow for any flight or luggage delays. You should fly into Temuco airport (ZCO).

In Chile, domestic flights are operated by 3 local airline companies: Latam, Sky Airline and JetSmart.

For the pre-night stay, we recommend staying at Best Western Ferrat Hotel in Temuco city, which is well-located with lots of restaurants and other facilities just a short walk away.

Our meeting hotel address is: Juan Reusch #445, Temuco

Official Airport Transfer

The official shuttle company at Temuco’s Airport is called TransAraucania.

They are the only authorized shuttle company at the airport, and their staff wears a blue and green uniform. By contract with the airport, they must have available transport based in the domestic flights arriving every day.

They have a counter at the airport, right next to the automatic doors (from the baggage carrousel). They offer regular and private shuttles to Temuco at $30.000 pesos (USD $40 per vehicle).

You don’t need reservations and you can pay in Credit Card or Cash. The ATM’s is on second floor.

All their shuttle services will drop you off at the hotel or address you are staying in Temuco. 

Driving time is approximately 35 minutes.

Specialized Diverge Elite E5 (2021)

Frameset

Sizes 49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61cm

Frame Specialized Diverge E5 Premium Aluminium

Fork FACT carbon, 12×100 mm thru-axle

Wheels

Wheels Axis Elit Disc, alloy rim, 14g spokes, 28hTiresSpecialized RoadSport, 700x38mm or 700x28mm

Drivetrain

Shifters Shimano GRX RX400, 2×10 speed, mechanical shifting

Derailleur Front Shimano GRX RX400, braze-on

Derailleur Rear Shimano GRX RX400, 10 speed

Crank Shimano GRX RX600, 46/30T

Cassette Shimano CH HG50-10, 11-36T, 10 speed

Pedals Wellgo

Components

Saddle Body Geometry Bridge Saddle, steel rails

Seat PostAlloy, 2-bolt Clamp, 12mm offset, 27.2mm

Handlebars Specialized Shallow Drop, 31.8mm

Stem Specialized, 3D-forged alloy, 7-degree

Brakeset Shimano GRX-RX400, hydraulic disc

Specialized Turbo Creo SL Comp Carbon Evo (2023)

Frameset

Sizes Small, Medium and Large

Frame FACT 11r carbon, Open Road Geometry, front/rear thru-axles, fully integrated down tube battery, internal cable routing, Boost12x148mm

Fork Future Shock 2.0 w/ Smooth Boot, Boost™ 12x110mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

Wheels

Wheels Front: DT R470 Boost 12x110mm, Rear: 12x 148mmTiresPathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready, Transparent Sidewall, 700x38c

Drivetrain

Shifters Shimano GRX 810 hydraulic brake levers, mechanical shifting

Derailleur Rear Shimano RX812 GX, Shadow Plus, 11-speedCrankPraxis, 44T, 110BCD, Forged alloy M30, custom offset

Cassette Sunrace, 11-speed, alloy spider, 11-42

Pedals Wellgo Platform

Components

Saddle Body Geometry Power Sport, steel railsSeat PostX-Fusion Manic Dropper, 50mm travel

Handlebars Specialized Adventure Gear Hover, 103mm drop x 70mm reach x 12º flareStemFuture Stem, Pro

Brakeset Shimano GRX 810 hydraulic disc

Battery Specialized SL1-320, fully integrated, 320Wh

Controller Specialized TCU, 10-LED State of charge, 3-LED Ride Mode display

Motor Specialized SL 1.1, custom lightweight motor

Our local staff will meet you at Best Western Ferrat Hotel in Temuco, and transfer you 2 hours to a small quaint village called Curacautín.

This village is part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve “Araucarias”. There, we’ll stop for lunch and then our guides will assist you to assemble and fit your bike. Once we are ready, we’ll start our trip with a 25-kilometer warm-up ride towards a national park, with the Lonquimay volcano at sight and surrounded by ancient araucaria trees.

We’ll pedal toward the old train station of Manzanar. There, we’ll take the old rail way that now has been turned into a bike trail that crosses a few short tunnels.

Afterwards, we’ll arrive at our mountain lodge and have a rest before the orientation and briefing session.

Finally we'll have our welcome dinner together.

Accommodation: Suizandina Lodge 

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Today's ride distance: 78 kilometers / 15.5 miles

Today, we start biking  from our mountain lodge. As we ride our bikes, the first 14 kilometers are paved as we’ll leave Malalcahuello village behind us. Then, we enter the Malalcahuello National Reserve, pedaling a mix of dirt and gravel road until we arrive at the Navidad crater lookout point.

Afterwards, we continue biking, ascending into an old mountain road called “Cuesta Las Raices”. There we hit gravel and continue biking towards Lonquimay town. This mountain pass is surrounded by ancient monkey-puzzle trees and with amazing views over the Lonquimay volcano.

It is the heart of the Pewenche, one of the first nations of this part of Chile. Upon arriving at Lonquimay village, we visit the local brewery.

Finally, we head back on a bike lane that will take us to Las Raices Tunnel, the longest in Chile.

Accommodation: Suizandina Lodge 

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Today's ride distance: 78 kilometers / 48.6 miles (25% asphalt, 75% dirt/gravel)

Time cycling: 4-6 hours approximately

Time driving: 20 minutes after the ride 

We’ll drive from Malalcahuello to Curacautín for about half hour. Then, we start biking from the city’s main square, towards the Conguillío National Park and Llaima Volcano.

This national park crossing will be one of your favorite rides. Its scenery has inspired BBC documentary series called "Walking with Dinosaurs."

The first 22 kilometers are done on asphalt and then we switch to 30 kilometers of dirt and gravel all the way until we arrive to the lodge.

We’ll pedal alongside 4 beautiful volcanic lakes, such as Captrén, Conguillío, Arcoiris and Verde.

Our lodge, La Baita, is Chile’s first eco lodge, with many awards in sustainability.

Accommodation: La Baita

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner

Today's ride distance: 52 kilometers / 32.3 miles (Mix of asphalt and gravel/dirt)

Time cycling: 4-6 hours approximately

Time driving: 30 minutes before cycling

 After breakfast, we will have a short drive passing by two lakes: Verde (green) and Arco Iris (rainbow) and with us immersed in a jaw-opening landscape.

We’ll start hiking along the Sierra Nevada trail surrounded by native trees, including ancient monkey-puzzle trees or araucarias. We will hear and spot many endemic birds such as the chucao tapaculo, the Magellan woodpecker and the noisy slender-billed parakeet.

The trail is equipped with 3 view points and we’ll use them all. Each one of them with different angles to take-in the views of the Conguillío Lake, Llaima and Sierra Nevada volcanoes.

After spending sometime eating our packed lunch, taking pictures and enjoying the amazing view, we'll hike back to the bottom of the trail and visit Playa Linda.

Later, we will go back to La Baita Lodge for a well-deserved rest.

Accommodation: La Baita

Meals: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner

Today's hike distance: 14 kilometers / 8.6 miles

Time hiking: 4-6 hours approximately

Time driving: 40 minutes 

Another day on our saddle, a very special one. We’ll start biking from our eco-lodge and exit the Conguillio national park. As we exit, we can visit the Truful-Truful canyon, one of the highlights of the Geopark.

Then, we hit asphalt again for the great part of the day, pedaling by old-fashioned towns such as Melipeuco and Cunco.

Afterwards, we'll transfer to Pucón where we'll spend the night.

Accommodation: Casa Solaria

Meals: Breakfast & lunch (dinner on your own)

Today's ride distance: 75 kilometers / 46,6 miles (20% gravel, 80% asphalt)

Time cycling: 5-6 hours approximately

After almost a week traveling in Chile’s Lake and Volcano District, you have probably realized that we are following a Scenic Road called “Ruta Escénica Lagos y Volcanes”. 

Today, we will ride towards the Villarrica National Park and pedal at the base of the volcano, where we finish the day at a fantastic lookout point. 

Evening at leisure to explore Pucon. Ask our guides if you need some local knowledge about dining and good shopping.

Accommodation: Casa Solaria Hotel

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Today's ride distance: 30 kilometers / 18.6 miles

Time cycling: 4 hours approximately

We’ll cycle from your hotel in Pucón, towards Catripulli, a small Mapuche village located near the border with Argentina.

For our last ride, we’ll cycle alongside Trancura river, while enjoying views of three volcanoes: Villarrica, Quetrupillan and Lanin.

We’ll pedal a route that combines gravel and asphalt until we get to Caburgua Lake, with its pristine clear waters. Followed by lunch, we continue riding alongside Liucura river, until we finally end our ride at Quelhue, a Mapuche community in Pucón.

Here we’ll have dinner in a very special place with a Mapuche Family.

Accommodation: Casa Solaria Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Today's ride distance: 76 kilometers / 47,2 miles (50% gravel, 50% asphalt)

Time cycling: 5-6 hours approximately

Time driving: 30 minutes after the ride

Sadly, it’s time to say good-bye to Chile's Lake and Volcano District.

After breakfast, we’ll visit Pucón downtown looking for that special souvenirs to bring home.

Ask our guides about the local Markets with the best souvenirs, handcrafts and woolen clothing.

Later, we’ll ride in van and head to Temuco Airport (ZCO) to catch your flight home or wherever your travels take you next.

It’s been a trip you will always remember!

End of services.

Meals: Breakfast